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It was foolish that it became enthralling.
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A solemn sigh escaped the woman's lips in a series of sequence, all the while she treads along the grassy path. Must she be so disappointed at the success of her mission, despite the mistake she had carved in her successfully failed strategy?
Nonetheless, she had accumulated an end to her duty, but without a doubt, a clump of distress disrupting her sense.
"What a shame..." The lady whispered in stigma. "I could have done better," puffing her cheeks and tightening her fists.
And then a grunt of irritation she disclosed.
"AAARHGGHH ANNOYING!"
It was an abrupt action induced by the avalanche of dissatisfaction established in the body of the young demon slayer. Such action made her angrily stomping onto the ground with the swiftest kick of the pebble.
Followed by another failure, grazing her foot and, unfortunately, stumbling over like a silly-mad woman swinging her arms on the side for balance with widened eyes and flushed face. She staggered completely. And it only augmented her annoyance.
What is more troublesome than a duty assigned to one with utmost trust and sincerity only to finish a half-successful end? For (Y/n), it was the worst. And to think that she was confident enough to save all lives at stake only added guilt in her sense.
And then yet another sigh was freed from her tinted lips, walking in silence, skidding the way to her quiet home.
At least she thought it would be, upon stepping foot what lies behind the shogi door, all she could think of was rest. A peaceful, sound less rest. However, why would anyone with a right mind leave their house open without a lock? At least to keep ludicrous boars away.
Oh, she was most definitely not.
Her ears perked up as her whole body did, an immediate response to the seeming noise coming from within her house. She gulped down her screams and tears as she pulled off a stance as though a monster trespassed her home.
"I swear to god I'll really kill myself someday—" (Y/n) broods inside her head with overflowing, child-like tears fleeing from her eyes. She stepped slowly and cautiously, scared of whatever it is that sojourned her home, with a face flush in bright red and a nose sniffing as she walks.
Oh, can her day get any luckier?
It was a question she couldn't answer the moment her foot met the ground of another step, frozen on the spot with a body recoiled all over. She gulped.
A loud booming noise echoed all over the wooden walls. It sounded shrieking and glass breaking. Whatever it is, it definitely skipped a scared beat of the lady's heart.
"EEEEK!" She flinched with trembling, scared eyes as her body jumped off the ground.
"W-Who is there!?"
(Y/n) demandingly responded to the noise, piling her courage and composure with sweats dwindling from her forehead. Had anyone hear her scream like this, they would have thought how much authority her tone could give.
But if anything, had anyone see her reaction, they would think otherwise, even the way she strode to the kitchen resembled a frightened cat.
There were countless creaking sounds protruded on tatami ground, and a few heavy breaths of a woman promenading towards the kitchen. Swiftly as possible she faced forward the open doorway and a glint of metal sound were heard as she took her blade out of its sheath. Looking so brave and courageous, she stood composed.
But it was all for nought. After all, the sight she had just perceived, as of this moment, twitched her eyes in annoyance. Unbelievable.
"INOSUKE?!"
Oh, what a surprise.
Her demeanour depicts a fit of anger contained within her closed eyes and tightened fists on both sides.
(Y/n) nonchalantly shook her head with a finger rubbing her temple and the other placed upon her waist. She sighed stress exhale, making her way a little towards the reckless boar who has his mouth stuffed, almost intact and too full that his cheeks are curved.
The young man looked up to her from the ground he was sitting on, dumbfounded as though his mind was being interrogated, all the while he continued to chew on his snack.
Had anyone caught sight of the eager Hashibira, they would have offered a greater value of food prompted by his flawless features. After all, the mask he had always worn was sitting atop his head as his hand kept on spouting pieces of food into his glutinous mouth.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? Hmm?" She tapped her fingers on the side table, looking down at him with one eyebrow curved at him and a frown laying on her face. The protruding veins on her forehead were much more visible than ever.
And yet the man only peered at her figure without care.
"How'd she find me here? Is she that strong?"
Finally, he shot her a soft glare, moving his hand slowly and gently towards the pack of snacks cautiously and instantly threw pieces inside his mouth acting like someone is watching his every move.
It was ridiculous enough that made her release another disappointing sigh. The moment she steps for one more time, the boar male flinched and positioned himself into a fighting stance. (Y/n) didn't want to think of how absurd he was acting if-else, she would have thought the same to herself.
Her gazes deliberately scanned the kitchen walls, floors, and every stack of cabinets — all opened and rashly disassembled. But when her eyes went back to the female-looking man, it became harder to get furious.
The look on his face seemed almost too flustered than his usual dominant-feels demeanour. Inosuke kept his eyes on the ground, looking at his side, avoiding eye contact with a pout protruding from his lips.
And at that point, the distress she was feeling flew away.
Her eyebrows met once again as she looked down where he extended his hand. "Here take it!" It was a bunch of acorns he was offering with his cheeks burning light red as he looked away from her face.
(Y/n) raised a curious eyebrow at the stunt, he had pulled. She leaned on her side and looked at him in disbelief. "Whatever are this for, Hashibira?"
Oh, was she scary?
The question got in his board head, rummaging his mind in hope of finding a good response. "W-well..." Inosuke's viridescent eyes glanced at her for less than a second before looking away once more with uncertainty holding his eyes. Why is it that around this lady, he had always been in such an unknown state?
He cleared his throat as he pulled down the mask to hide his shameful face. He straightened his body and looked all ridiculously mighty.
"Ha! That's my gratitude for you have offered Lord Hashibira a treat!" Inosuke replied with a seeming boastful act. Both of his hands are on the side of his waist, pumping his chest out, acting as per usual. "HAHA, good job minion!"
As soon as he exclaimed his unbelievable thoughts, (Y/n) contemplated inside her ragged head, whether to punch him in the guts or throw him out of the house. If anything, she could have done both. But for what seemed like an eternity of mischievous plays of the man, she decided to have his company.
Hopefully, it would be a choice she won't regret. After all, the man had always made her experience unusual tingling emotion that constantly lingers around her mind.
She sighed at him, looking down with a soft chuckle as she shook her head lightly. Her laugh and her voice made him peered through his skull mask, wanting to catch a glimpse of her sweet cackles. Yet his mind acted differently from the beating of his heart.
"Was it funny? Why is she laughing at me-"
"Inosuke, " she called him, pursing her lips together.
He gulped, sweating beneath his facade. "W-What?"
The young lady took one more step for the last time towards him, placing both of her dainty hands on the veil of fur he has on his head. Beneath that mask conceals this young man enraptured by the depiction of this woman staring — penetrating her gaze deep that he locked his own eyes at her, despite the covering.
It all felt enchanting that he had to gulp down his pride once more.
Perhaps it's that moment in time they had both found themselves tangled. They weren't the closest, not the friendliest. But this is a start.
(Y/n) gently pulled the mask off his head, watching how his short locks fall upon his shoulder and his face that seemed almost too feminine. And then moving to get eyes back to his own — staring at her intently whilst his cheeks began painting red.
She smiled. So warm. And gentle, it burned the man. A smile from her lips struck his own heart to skip an unexpected beat.
"Say, why don't we have a proper meal?" It was those last words that escaped her tinted lips, for he was unable to utter any word but a mumble.
For whatever that prompted this aftermath, maybe the ridiculous attempts from the start, or the stubborn uncertainties that leads inside, or perhaps the unknowing resemblances that have shared — it all acted out well.
End
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—Mrs.Shinazugawa